It is often desirable to attach an accessory, such as a bicycle, ski or cargo carrier or rack, to a roof rack of an automobile. Generally, roof racks include two or more cross bars to which such accessories may be attached, and may have a number of different cross-sectional shapes. For example, the cross bars may have a round, square, rectangular or oval shape, depending upon the design and/or manufacturer of the roof rack.
The carrier or rack being attached to the roof rack often includes a support frame or support members which must be securely attached to the cross bars. To provide this attachment, brackets or wraparound straps may be used. Because of the variety of cross bar configurations that may be encountered, however, custom brackets may be required to securely attach to each particularly shaped cross bar. Straps alone may accommodate a variety of cross bar shapes, but may not secure the accessory to the cross bar as effectively as desired.
Accordingly, there is a need for a universal attachment device that may facilitate attachment between an accessory and a variety of differently configured frame members, such as the cross bars on an automobile roof rack.